The 2012 Summer Olympics kick off tomorrow with the Opening Ceremonies so we’re highlighting food from the birthplace of the Olympics…Greece. Greek food is charactized by fresh ingredients commonly found in the Mediterranean climates. Along with spice blends that include both sweet and savory tones. Gyros are a staple of Greek food and these Chicken Gyros with Fresh Tzatziki are the perfect dish.
We started by grilling the chicken breast after rubbing with Greek Seasoning. This seasoning is a little strange with cinnamon and nutmeg, but when paired with oregano, parsley, onion powder and the other spices, it makes a great flavor combination. We actually use Greek Seasoning on lots of different dishes.
While the chicken was grilling, Doug made the Tzatziki Sauce, beginning with Greek yogurt and adding cucumber, garlic and mint. He followed Shaina’s suggestions, and chopped all the ingredients finely, so that the flavors were married together nicely.
Serving the Chicken Gyros is super easy, just thinly slice fresh tomatoes, red onion and heat up the pita bread.
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Chicken Gyros with Fresh Tzatziki
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
An authentic Greek dish. Recipe from PocketChangeGourmet.com. Adapted from Food for my Family
Ingredients
Fresh Tzatziki
- 2 cups Greek yogurt (drained)
- 1 medium cucumber (peeled,seeded and diced)
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 4 mint leaves (minced)
- Kosher salt (pinch or to taste)
Chicken Gyros
- 2–3 chicken breast {boneless, skinless}
- Greek Seasoning
- 1 large Red or White Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large Tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 6–8 Pita Bread
- Fresh Oregano, finely chopped
- Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
- Fresh Tzatziki
Instructions
Fresh Tzatziki
- Drain Greek yogurt over night.
- Peel cucumber and split in half, remove seeds with a spoon and finely dice.
- Place diced cucumber into a cloth towel and squeeze excess moisture out.
- Blend together all ingredients in a medium bowl, refrigerate until serving
Chicken
- Heat grill to medium-high
- Rub with Greek Seasoning, place on grill and cook 5-7 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
- Remove from grill and let set about 5 minutes before slicing thinly
Gyros
- Heat pita bread in stove or microwave
- Spoon tzatziki sauce on pita bread and layer with chicken, onions and tomatoes
- Sprinkle with fresh herbs
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Greek Food for the Olympics
- Mediterranean Bean Salad from Food for my Family
- Orecchiette Paella with sausage and clams from Kali Orexi
- Braised Cauliflower from Souvlaki For The Soul
Follow our Olympic Food Pinterest Board for more ideas.
Join us as we celebrate the Olympics with Recipes from around the World!
4 Comments
For the Tzatziki, I grate the cucumbers and allow it to drain. I also use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar. I make a version of this with ground beef with spices and occasionally if the budget allows with a combination of ground beef and lamb.
Thanks for sharing Carrie, that recipe sounds delicious!
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe. These are my favorite and I have been looking for a good one. This is Good!!!
So glad you like the recipe, thanks Elizabeth!